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Upcoming events
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2015 East Bay Leadership Series
East Bay USA Dinner
(Part 1 of the Series)
A Conversation between The Honorable Ellen Tauscher and Karl Rove
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Reception from 5:30 p.m., dinner served at 7 p.m.
Hilton Concord
1970 Diamond Boulevard, Concord
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State of the East Bay: Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia and Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty
Friday, January 30 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The Bridges Golf Club,
9000 South Gale Ridge Road, San Ramon
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Save the date!
7th State Senate District Candidates Luncheon Forum:
Susan Bonilla, Joan Buchanan and Mark Meuser
Wednesday, February 11
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek
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Save the date!
Evening Reception for Will Kempton, Executive Director of the California Transportation Commission
Thursday, February 125 to 7 p.m. Registration will open soon. Watch the website for details or contact Sherri Boyle or Terry Shoaff at the Council office at 925.246.1880. ******
Save the date!
2015 East Bay Leadership Series
(Part II)
East Bay Economic Forecast & Infrastructure Panel
Featuring Christopher Thornberg of Beacon Economics, followed by a panel discussion
April 15, 2015
Watch the website for details. ****** Questions?For information about any East Bay Leadership Council event, please contact Sherri Boyle or Terry Shoaff or call 925.246.1880, fax 925.674.1654. |
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What We Offer ...
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| CEO VIEWPOINT | |  What's ahead: Advocacy and East Bay USA 2015
By Kristin Connelly, President and CEO, East Bay Leadership Council
For California, there is good news at year-end 2014, with the Legislative Analyst's Office projecting surpluses. As you may be aware, education makes up about half of the state's $108 billion budget, so dealing in surpluses is a much better place to be than a couple years back, when budget shortfalls and uncertainty made education a tenuous proposition.
If you want to read more about our great state, Calfacts 2014 is now available. A treasure trove of information, it offers such nuggets as the fact that milk is California's largest commodity. Did you know that? In other Sacramento news of note, Speaker of the Assembly Toni Atkins has assigned three of our East Bay Assemblymembers to chair Assembly committees. The Hon. Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) will chair the Assembly Transportation Committee; The Hon. Susan Bonilla (D-Concord) will head the Committee on Business and Professions and The Hon. Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) will chair Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services. EBLC looks forward to working with our local elected members to further our agenda to promote economic vitality and quality of life in the East Bay. Please join me in congratulating all three of these leaders!
We have made progress in putting together our membership survey, which we will be sending to our members early in 2015 to help shape our organization's priorities. EBLC's Policy Committee and staff continue to work in concert with our Bay Area Business Coalition partners, and we look forward to the East Bay Advocacy Day on February 24, when we will join with East Bay EDA representatives in visits with legislative leaders in Sacramento.
Have a wonderful holiday -- and see you at the East Bay USA dinner on January 22. It is not to be missed!
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| JANUARY 22 EAST BAY USA DINNER | | A conversation between The Honorable Ellen Tauscher and Karl Rove launches 2015 East Bay Leadership Series
 | | Ellen Tauscher |
The adroit pairing of The Hon. Ellen O'Kane Tauscher and Karl Rove at the January 22 East Bay USA Dinner will launch the 2015 East Bay Leadership Series. The policy discussion between Tauscher, former member of Congress and Under Secretary of State, and Rove, former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush, will offer insights about the political landscape and its impacts on the economy both nationally and regionally. The evening will begin with a 5:30 p.m. reception, followed by the dinner presentation at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Concord. The 2015
 | | Karl Rove |
East Bay Leadership Series will include two additional events. An April 15 breakfast event will feature Christopher Thornberg of Beacon Economics, who will provide a view of the state and regional economies. Thornberg will be followed by a panel discussion about the infrastructure and transportation needs of the East Bay. In September, a presentation is planned covering East Bay workforce innovations and healthcare trends. Additional event details will be announced in January. Register at www.2015EBUSA.eventbrite.com for the January 22 event by January 19. For questions or more information, contact Kristin Connelly or Terry Shoaff at 925.246.1880. |
EVENTS IN JANUARY & FEBRUARY
| | State of the East Bay, State Senate Candidates Forum and Will Kempton reception set for early 2015
The East Bay Leadership Council is planning a full schedule of events in January and February, following the East Bay USA Dinner on January 22. Registration for these programs will open in early January. Upcoming programs include the following.
- Friday, January 30: State of the East Bay Luncheon, with Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia and Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, at The Bridges Golf Club in San Ramon.
- Wednesday, February 11: 7th State Senate District Candidates Luncheon Forum, with declared candidates Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, former Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, and Walnut Creek attorney Mark Meuser, at the Walnut Creek Marriott.
- Thursday, February 12: Evening reception for Will Kempton, newly named executive director of the California Transportation Commission.
More details about these events will be provided as soon as they are finalized. Please watch our website and social media ( Twitter, Facebook, and now LinkedIn) for information and registration links. |
| TASK FORCE BRIEFINGS | | January and February meetings and speakers
New and prospective Council members are welcome to attend task force meetings. Please notify a task force co-chair prior to the meeting to confirm meeting topics, time and location, as details may change. To view task force agendas, policy papers and recent presentations, visit the Task Force pages on the Council website. Watch the website Announcements page for January and February meeting updates.
Environmental/Manufacturing Task Force . . . Friday, January 9, 8:15 to 9:45 a.m. . . . Brown and Caldwell, 201 N. Civic Drive, Suite 300, Walnut Creek. Continuing EBLC's effort to encourage and promote manufacturing along the Northern Waterfront, the December meeting featured a presentation by Tesoro's Matt Buell regarding plans to upgrade the Avon Marine Terminal near Martinez to meet the State Lands Commission's Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards (MOTEMS). Next meeting is Friday, Feburary 6. Co-chairs: Peter McGaw and George Smith
Land Use Task Force . . . Wednesday, January 14, 8 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Archer Norris, 2033 North Main Street, Suite 800, Walnut Creek. Completed discussion at December meeting of land use goals and strategies relative to the task force's role as the action team for business climate and regulatory environment for the Northern Waterfront revitalization effort. Co-chairs: Mike McGill and Ed Shaffer
Water Task Force . . . Tuesday, January 20 , 8:15 to 10 a.m. . . . Brown and Caldwell, 201 N. Civic Drive, Suite 300, Walnut Creek. At the November meeting, Marguerite Patil, special assistant to the general manager, Contra Costa Water District, discussed the Bay Area Regional Reliability Partnership. Co-chairs: Ann Spaulding and Bob Whitley; Vice-chair: Gary Darling
Small Business/Entrepreneur Task Force . . . Tuesday, January 27, 8:30 to 10 a.m. . . . AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, 3055 Oak Road, Van Ness Conference Room, Walnut Creek (RSVP required to attend). Quarterly meeting of Chamber of Commerce executives and legislative representatives. Co-chairs: Angela De La Housaye and Jenny Kohler
Economic Development Task Force . . . Wednesday, January 28, 8 to 9:15 a.m. . . . Brandman University, 2950 Buskirk Avenue, Room 307, Walnut Creek. At the November meeting, Jeff Stemke gave a presentation on Northern Waterfront action team recommendations to strengthen and support regional industry clusters. Tom Stewart and Jill Nohl offered an update on the region's Advanced Manufacturing industry cluster. Co-chairs: Jodi Avina and Jeff Stemke
Workforce Development/Education Task Force . . . No meeting in January . . . Wednesday, February 4, 8:30 to 10 a.m. . . . Contra Costa Workforce Development Board, 300 Ellinwood Way, Bodega Room, Pleasant Hill. At the December meeting, Kirsten Spalding, executive director, San Mateo County Union Community Alliance, presented Improving Career Exploration and Navigation Pathways for K-12 and Beyond. The task force also learned about the recently published Economic Prosperity Strategy Report, focused on improving economic conditions for low- and moderate-income Bay Area residents and workers and the implications for youth. Co-chairs: Joanne Durkee and Kathleen Robinson
Health Care Task Force . . . No meeting in January . . . Thursday, February 5, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. . . . Burr Pilger Mayer, 2001 North Main Street, Suite 360, Walnut Creek. At the December meeting, the task force received an overview of the Cancer Support Network and updates on the Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, Covered California and other legislation and policy issues. Co-chair: Steve Van Wart
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| NEWS ABOUT OUR MEMBERS | |
 | | Larry Sly, right, of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano accepts a Wells Fargo holiday contribution from Robert Ceglio at EBLC board meeting. |
Wells Fargo's donation of $25,000 tops EBLC directors' contributions to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Tapping into the spirit of the holiday season, East Bay Leadership Council directors contributed $26,140 to the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano at their December 19 board meeting. Donations included both cash and food donations.
Leading the donations with a contribution of $25,000 was Wells Fargo. Robert Ceglio, president of the Mount Diablo Region of Wells Fargo, presented the check to Larry Sly, executive director of the food bank, at the monthly meeting.
"For every dollar we receive, two meals can be provided," said Sly in accepting the contributions. "We are really good at providing food, but we need to have more social action. Fighting poverty is going to take more than providing food for poor families," he added. "We need to increase participation in the food stamp program, which spends dollars in local grocery stores. We want to build community support for this effort, and we need your help as business leaders."
For more information, visit www.foodbankccs.org.
Karen Sakata of the Contra Costa County Office of Education joins EBLC Board
Karen Sakata, newly elected superintendent, Contra Costa County Office of Education, was elected a Council director at the December meeting.
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| CORPORATE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | |  Hacienda offers a premier location for working and living
For over 30 years, Hacienda has provided a premier location for working and living in the Bay Area. "When working and living environments both enhance quality of life, the result is an unbeatable combination that leads to success. That is what you will find at Hacienda," says General Manager James Paxson.
Located in Pleasanton and adjacent to BART, the 875-acre property is the largest development of its kind in Northern California. Over 11 million square feet of existing, mixed-use space is occupied by some 650 companies that locally employ approximately 18,000 people.
"Hacienda is a major employment center within the greater Bay Area. This is due to the foresight displayed by Joe Callahan and the Prudential Insurance Company of America, Hacienda's original co-developers, who understood the importance of this key location at the intersection of Interstate 580 and Interstate 680," says Paxson. "They recognized what we still consider today are the important assets this area has to offer: access to quality labor and markets, the high level of design provided in the infrastructure in the area, the relative affordability of the Tri-Valley and the high quality of life.
"Our job, my job, is to ensure that these key traits are preserved and new desirable traits identified and developed so that Hacienda remains relevant in future years. We do this by making sure the project is attractive for investment, that key components such as highly skilled labor and current technology are available in abundance, that the environment is pleasing, and that we remain a positive contributor to the community. Beyond our interest in being an economic driver within the area, the park is committed to larger community support goals. Hacienda Helping Hands, Hacienda's community initiative, is an integral component of our efforts to engage with and support the community at large," adds Paxson.
Offices and homes
Hacienda's businesses represent the best and the brightest of contemporary corporate America. The business park provides a home to everything from small offices to regional centers to large campuses for company headquarters. In addition, Hacienda features homes to some 4,000 residents.
World-class architecture and the best in contemporary, environmentally friendly design are the hallmarks of Hacienda's office buildings and land plan. Residents have found the park's housing to be an important asset in their daily lives. For residents who also work in the park, Hacienda becomes a convenient commute-less living choice that allows for strong ties to the adjacent Pleasanton community and the Tri-Valley. In addition, with its dynamic transit orientation, Hacienda housing provides the perfect springboard for both work and play in the greater Bay Area.
With BART trains rolling into the Hacienda BART station every 15 minutes, Hacienda employers have access to labor pools well beyond the traditional 30-minute automobile commute. Access is further enhanced by commute-hour rail service from the Central Valley via the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) train. As the eastern terminus of the BART system and the mass transit hub of the I-680 corridor, Hacienda is served by transit providers throughout the Bay Area and the Central Valley.
Hacienda was designed with power, telecommunications and other critical services in the quantities necessary to support almost any endeavor. It is one of the few locations anywhere with as many as three companies providing fiber optic network service: Time Warner Telecom, MCI and AT&T Broadband all have their own fiber optic networks within the park. The development's electricity supply is equally robust. Thanks to the installation of new circuits, switches, and substations, Hacienda's electrical service is ranked highly in reliability by Pacific Gas & Electric. With features like remotely operable and fused switches, consistent power service is delivered throughout the park. A premier road network ties the development together in a tree-lined setting with easy access to both the regional road network and transit. Hacienda's infrastructure also gives full support for company operations that require secured water and sewer services.
EBLC Board member James Paxson
 | | James Paxson |
An EBLC Board member since 2013, James Paxson has been employed with Hacienda for 29 years, and has served as general manager since 1995. He manages all programs operated on behalf of investors and owners of property within Hacienda, including development and planning, infrastructure management, security, transportation, environmental monitoring, amenities and community relations.
In addition to the East Bay Leadership Council, Paxson serves in a leadership capacity with several local and regional organizations. These include board roles with the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce (chair-elect 2015), East Bay Economic Development Alliance, Innovation Tri-Valley, Alameda County Workforce Investment Board (chair), Axis Community Health Center (chair) and Tri-Valley Housing Opportunity Center (past chair). He chairs the Alameda County Measure B Citizens Watchdog Committee and is vice-chair of Pleasanton's Economic Vitality Committee.
Comments on board service
When asked about his outlook on board service, Paxson replies: "I always see board service as serving two functions. First, you have to believe in and support the organizations on whose boards you serve, and in that support you further the broader objectives of that organization; that is, your function as a board member is to help make those organizations become better at what they do and to succeed. Second, everyone brings in something of value from whatever they do outside of that organization to board service, but they also gain something in board service that they can bring back to their work, their life and the other places and institutions in which they find themselves. It is this cross-pollination and integration of purpose and objective between my work and the organizations on which I serve that provides a constant source of fascination and learning, while also creating a strong motivation to serve."
Paxson is a graduate of UC Berkeley and lives in Berkeley with his wife of 25 years, Kathy, and daughters Erin and Sarah. |
| NEW MEMBERS | | Please welcome our new members!
DC Solar Solutions
Mark Hughes, Vice President, Business Development
135 Mason Circle
Concord, 94520
(925) 278-0600
www.dcsolardistribution.com
DC Solar Solutions designs, manufactures and leases renewable energy products to serve the off-grid needs of a broad and diverse marketplace -- while providing investors with access to the renewable energy asset class.
Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services
Elaine Clark, Executive Director
1300 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek 94596
925.937.8311
www.mowsos.org
Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services coordinates care for older adults in Contra Costa County who have a full range of needs. "We do this one meal, visit or ride at a time."
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ABOUT THE EAST BAY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
The East Bay Leadership Council is a public policy advocacy organization that promotes the economic vitality and quality of life in the East Bay region. The Council engages on issues of critical importance to the business community and residents, balancing the needs of a diverse region through policy efforts that provide for local and regional economic development while retaining our quality of life.
Through its task forces, the Council develops and supports policy positions to further its mission and sponsors educational forums for its members and the community.
For more information, please visit our website at www.eastbayleadershipcouncil.com.
To comment on items in this newsletter, please contact Kristin Connelly at the East Bay Leadership Council.
This issue was edited for the East Bay Leadership Council by Molly A. Walker of Walker Communications.
© 2014 East Bay Leadership Council
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